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31.01.2024 23:02 Palworld, the viral “Pokémon with guns” game that launched in Early Access to mixed reviews, has already sold 19 million copies. Developer Pocketpair says it’s sold 12 million copies on Steam and seven million on Xbox since its January 19 launch . Microsoft says the tongue-in-cheek Pokémon satire is the biggest third-party launch on Game Pass. “The response from fans has been tremendous and it’s incredible to see the millions of players around the world enjoying Palworld,” Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe told Xbox Wire. “This is just the beginning for us and Palworld, and the feedback we’re gathering while in Game Preview will allow us to continue to improve the experience for Pal Tamers across all platforms.” In addition to being the biggest third-party Game Pass launch ever, Palworld had the largest third-party day-one launch on Xbox Cloud Gaming . The game’s highest peak since launch was nearly three million daily active users on Xbox. Microsoft says it was the most-played game on Xbox platforms during that period. Pocketpair Palworld uses Pokémon-esque characters and themes — enough to catch the attention of Nintendo’s lawyers. It has battles with monsters similar to those in the creature-collecting series, including the ability to capture them inside a sphere after winning. But Palworld also includes biting social commentary and incorporates themes you’d never see in Pokémon — like labor exploitation. “Don’t worry, there are no labor laws for Pals,” a game FAQ reads. One of the title’s trailers showed a player circling hard-at-work Pals with an assault rifle. “Creating a productive base like this is the secret to living a comfortable life in Palworld,” the narration reads. Microsoft emphasized that the developer is still hard at work on the Early Access title. “There’s much more to come as Pocketpair refine the experience ahead of a full 1.0 release,” Xbox Wire’s Joe Skrebels wrote. He says Pocketpair is listening to player feedback and applying what they’ve learned. He added that cross-play, one of the most requested features, is coming.

31.01.2024 23:02 Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro AR/VR headset will have a bunch of dedicated Microsoft 365 apps at launch on February 2, including Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and Loop. Apple has long described the Vision Pro as primarily a productivity device, so the addition of Microsoft products should make users, well, more productive. These aren’t just slapdash remakes of correlating iPads apps, as many have built-in tools that take advantage of the headset. For instance, PowerPoint features a custom immersive environment that allows users to practice delivering a presentation to an actual audience. Excel will let users quickly move documents to other apps by using the headset’s pinch and drag functionality. Microsoft Microsoft Word will include a focus mode that blocks distractions so you can actually finish that novel you’ve been talking about for 15 years. Teams will take advantage of the headset’s persona feature, so your digital avatar can attend work meetings and creep everyone else out via the magic of the uncanny valley. The Zoom app on Apple Vision Pro will also include this feature. Headset owners will also be able to access Microsoft’s AI-powered Copilot service. In other words, you’ll be able to use natural conversation to instruct the digital assistant to create drafts, summarize documents and even generate PowerPoint presentations. Each of these apps will be available via the official App Store as soon as you unbox your expensive new gadget. There has been plenty of chatter about what software won’t be available at launch, like Netflix and YouTube, so it’s good to see that early adopters won’t be forced to exclusively use Apple-branded apps.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-vision-pro-will-have-microsoft-teams-word-excel-and-other-365-apps-at-launch-195237957.html?src=rss

31.01.2024 23:02 The Xbox Design Lab is neat in that you can customize the colors of your controller pretty much however you like. Microsoft is offering players more customization options for their Xbox controller with the Vapor series. These six top case options have swirling color patterns that will provide your peripheral with your ideal look if you're aiming for that bowling ball aesthetic. The variants include Nocturnal Vapor, which blends dark green and grey; the bold pink and purple Cyber Vapor; and the red and orange Fire Vapor. You'll still be able to customize the button colors and swap in metallic triggers and D-pads, and rubberized side and back grips. Players can add a personalized engraving to the case too. Xbox Those who don't feel like fiddling around in the Design Lab but still want a controller with this kind of vibe can pick up the latest Xbox special edition controller, the Dream Vapor. While it uses the pink and purple top case from the Vapor collection, Xbox has included unique, matching purple rubberized side grips and soft pink ABXY buttons with purple accents. Snap up the $70 controller and you'll also get an exclusive dynamic background for your Xbox Series X/S. It's not exactly the first time Xbox has embraced this vibe. The Stormcloud Vapor controller has been around for a while. But the fact Microsoft is wading further into these swirly waters has us suspecting there's perhaps a really big Pete Weber fan on the Xbox team. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-latest-xbox-controllers-feature-a-nifty-bowling-ball-aesthetic-194233908.html?src=rss

31.01.2024 23:02 Sony has revealed the PlayStation Plus monthly games lineup for February, and it’s pretty solid. There’s no clear headliner here, but a trio of nifty games are about to hit the platform, including Foamstars, Rollerdrome and Steelrising. Also, a two-hour trial of the beloved superhero simulation Spider-Man 2 drops on February 6 for PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe members. If we had to pick the biggest game of the bunch, it’d be Rollerdrome. The dystopian roller-skating sim is absolutely fantastic, with a neat 1970s aesthetic, comic-book style visuals and a timely message about corporate greed. It’s also really fun to play, which is why it made our list of the best games of 2022. It even made our list of the best PS5 games of 2023, and that was back when you actually had to pay for it outright. We already knew Foamstars was hitting PS Plus this month, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting. This is Square Enix’s attempt to capture some of the magic of Nintendo’s Splatoon franchise and it's actually a day-one release for the platform. Foamstars is a 4x4 online party shooter, just like Splatoon. Unlike Nintendo’s game, you use foam as a primary mechanic instead of paint. We haven’t written about Steelrising, but it’s a pretty cool riff on the Soulslike genre, trading a fantasy setting for a steampunk vibe. It’s set in an alternate history version of Paris in which robots quelled the French Revolution. It doesn't get more steampunk than that, though I haven’t played long enough to see if Jules Verne somehow shows up via time travel. The combat is fun though. Fall Guys is also getting an avatars pack as part of this drop, including costumes based on characters from the Ratchet Clank franchise. All three of the aforementioned titles will be available to PS Plus members starting February 6 and until March 4. To that end, some titles are leaving the platform this month. You only have until February 5 to add A Plague Tale: Requiem, Evil West and Nobody Saves the World to your digital library.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/februarys-playstation-plus-games-include-foamstars-rollerdrome-and-steelrising-190919961.html?src=rss

31.01.2024 23:02 Sony is set to host its first PlayStation showcase of 2024 and it's shaping up to be a big one. The State of Play stream will run for over 40 minutes and feature more than 15 games. The event starts at 5PM ET and you can watch it below. We know for sure that we'll get extended looks at two games in particular: Stellar Blade and Rise of the Ronin. Shift Up's Stellar Blade is a Sony-published action-adventure game that's coming to PS5 at some point this year. Perhaps we'll get a release date during the showcase. Sony is also publishing Rise of the Ronin, an action RPG from Nioh developer Team Ninja that's coming to PS5 on March 22. Beyond that, there have been all kinds of rumors about what the State of Play will include. Along with chatter about Death Stranding 2, there have been murmurings that a remake of Until Dawn is coming to PS5 and PC . Given that it's only a month away, it's a safe bet that we'll get another peek at Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. We could also get more details on the long-awaited Silent Hill 2 remake, which is a PS5 console exclusive. In any case, we'll find out new information about a bunch of games that are coming to PS5 and PS VR2 this year and further down the line. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watch-sonys-latest-state-of-play-here-at-5pm-et-183713629.html?src=rss

31.01.2024 23:02 Online commerce platform eBay will pay $59 million to settle allegations from the Justice Department that it assisted in the sale of pill press machines, which are used to manufacture both legitimate and counterfeit prescription medications. The platform sold thousands of these presses, along with other products to create pills, such as molds, stamps, dies and encapsulating machines. For the uninitiated, encapsulating machines are used to fill capsules with medication. Pill press machines are used by legitimate pharmaceutical companies to manufacture medication, but they are also a required tool for making counterfeit pills. Criminals use these machines to make fake medications that look like actual prescription pills, typically for sale on the street or via the dark web. When combined with molds, stamps and dies, these fake pills will look exactly like the real McCoy, down to the logos and letters on each side. Additionally, these presses can whip up thousands of pills per hour. The issue here is that companies that facilitate the sale of pill presses and related equipment are required to verify the buyers’ identities and send records along to the Drug Enforcement Agency to ensure the machines can be traced if used illegally. It looks like eBay shirked its duties here, which is a violation of the Controlled Substances Act. “Through its website, eBay made it easy for individuals across the country to obtain the type of dangerous machines that are often used to make counterfeit pills," US Attorney Nikolas Kerest told ABC News. eBay’s failure to follow “basic reporting and record keeping requirements” allowed people to "set up pill factories in their homes and to do so without detection,” added US Attorney Henry Leventis. Beyond the hefty payout, eBay has agreed to comply with regulations moving forward, so information regarding each pill press machine sold, along with accessories, will be sent to the DEA for perusal. Additionally, many of the people who bought the machines on eBay have been charged in illegal counterfeit pills trafficking cases, according to the DOJ. This is a big deal, because these counterfeit pills are often filled with all kinds of junk, including fentanyl. The synthetic opioid is largely responsible for the deadliest overdose crisis in US history, with nearly 74,000 people dying from fentanyl overdoses in 2022 alone. This drug accounts for more than two-thirds of overdose deaths in the US. You won’t fall into a coma by touching it, no matter what cops say, but you should still stay far, far away from the stuff. As for eBay, this isn’t the first time the company had to pony up money to the DOJ. It recently had to pay $3 million to settle a truly bizarre cyberstalking case involving the shipment of live animals. The DOJ is also suing eBay for allowing the sale of aftermarket “defeat devices,” which bypass vehicle emission controls.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ebay-will-pay-59-million-to-settle-doj-suit-involving-over-pill-press-machine-sales-181919125.html?src=rss

31.01.2024 23:02 Sega of America plans to lay off 61 employees in March, according to a California WARN report. Eurogamer and X user @WhatLayoff first reported on the government notice, which lists two separate job cuts classified as “layoff permanent” on March 8. It’s the latest chapter in a year-plus of brutal job cuts in the tech and gaming worlds. California’s WARN Act, passed in 1988, requires employers to provide 60 days’ notice for upcoming layoffs — allowing the affected workers time to prepare. It applies to companies with at least 75 full-time or part-time workers and covers layoffs of 50 or more people within 30 days. It isn’t clear precisely how many workers Sega of America employs. The WARN report lists separate layoffs at two Irvine, CA-based Sega of America offices. The job cuts both have a “notice” date of January 8, and the reports were “processed” by California on January 29 with “effective” dates of March 8. The Communications Workers of America filed an unfair labor practice complaint against Sega in November after the publisher allegedly said it would lay off 80 unionized workers. At the time, the organization said Sega presented the proposal in a captive audience meeting, describing the circumstances as “a clear case of bad faith bargaining.” The Allied Employees Guild Improving SEGA , the union representing Sega workers in the US, wrote on X Tuesday that the company announced the latest plans “a few months ago,” suggesting the layoffs posted in the WARN notice are part of the same roadmap. The union said Sega plans to outsource quality assurance and some localization work “in a move that would significantly impact our workforce.” Sega hasn’t publicly confirmed the layoffs. Engadget reached out to a company representative, and we’ll update this article if we hear back. The layoffs come less than two months after Sega said it would refresh its classics Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Golden Axe and Streets of Rage. Eurogamer notes the company’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which launched last week, has been a high mark for the publisher.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sega-of-america-plans-to-lay-off-61-workers-180100573.html?src=rss

31.01.2024 18:42 The CEOs of Meta, Snap, Discord, X and TikTok testified at a high-stakes Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on child exploitation online. During the hearing, Mark Zuckerberg, Evan Spiegel, Jason Citron, Linda Yaccarino and Shou Chew spent hours being grilled by lawmakers about their records on child safety. The hearing was the first time Spiegel, Citron and Yaccarino testified to Congress. Notably, all three were subpoenaed by the committee after refusing to appear voluntarily, according to lawmakers. Judiciary Committee Chair Senator Dick Durbin noted that Citron “only accepted services of his subpoena after US Marshals were sent to Discord’s headquarters at taxpayers’ expense.” The hearing room was filled with parents of children who had been victims of online exploitation on social media. Many members of the audience silently held up photos of their children as the CEOs entered the room, and Durbin kicked off the hearing with a somber video featuring victims of child exploitation and their parents. “Discord has been used to groom, abduct and abuse children,” Durbin said. “Meta’s Instagram helped connect and promote a network of pedophiles. Snapchat’s disappearing messages have been co-opted by criminals who financially extort young victims. TikTok has become a quote platform of choice for predators to access, engage and groom children for abuse. And the prevalence of CSAM on X has grown as the company has gutted its trust and safety workforce.” During the hearing, many of the senators shared personal stories of parents whose children had died by suicide after being exploited online. "Mr. Zuckerberg, you and the companies before us — I know you don't mean it to be so — but you have blood on your hands," Senator Lindsey Graham said in his opening remarks. The audience applauded. While years of similar hearings have so far failed to produce any new laws, there is growing bipartisan support in Congress for new safety regulations. As Tech Policy Press points out, there are currently more than half a dozen bills dealing with children's online safety that have been proposed by senators. These include the Kids Online Safety Act , which would require platforms to create more parental control and safety features and submit to independent audits, and COPPA 2.0, a revised version of the 1998 Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act, which would bar companies from collecting or monetizing children’s data without consent. Senators have also proposed a number of bills to address child exploitation, including the EARN IT Act, currently in its third iteration since 2020, and the STOP CSAM Act. None of these have advanced to the Senate floor for a vote. Many of these bills have faced intense lobbying from the tech industry, though some companies in attendance said they are open to some aspects of the legislation. Zuckerberg suggest a different approach, saying he supported age verification and parental control requirements at the app store level, which would effectively shift the burden to Apple and Google. Meta has come under particular pressure in recent months following a lawsuit from 41 states for harming teens’ mental health. Court documents from the suit allege that Meta turned a blind eye to children under 13 using its service, did little to stop adults from sexually harassing teens on Facebook and that Zuckerberg personally intervened to stop an effort to ban plastic surgery filters on Instagram. Developing... In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 or you can simply dial 988. Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting HOME to 741741 , 686868 , or 85258 . Wikipedia maintains a list of crisis lines for people outside of those countries.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/senate-tells-social-media-ceos-they-have-blood-on-their-hands-for-failing-to-protect-children-170411884.html?src=rss

31.01.2024 18:42 The Pew Research Center has published an updated survey of US adult social media usage. Although YouTube and Facebook retain their dominant status from the last poll in 2021, TikTok is the fastest-growing platform, with more than a third of adults now saying they use the app. The survey polled 5,733 US adults between May 19 and September 5, 2023. YouTube was far and away the most used platform, with 83 percent of respondents reporting using it at some point. Meanwhile, 68 percent of users reported using Facebook. Those two are the only platforms with a majority of people using them through each age demographic. However, gaps based on age groups still exist — especially among YouTube’s users. For example, 93 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds report using Google’s video platform, while 60 percent of those 65 and older say the same. Instagram came in third place overall, as 47 percent of respondents said they use it. Pinterest , TikTok , LinkedIn , WhatsApp and Snapchat all fall into the next tier down. TikTok’s growth stands out the most: The ByteDance-owned platform shot up 12 points from 21 percent from two years before. That’s by far the biggest leap of any platform on the list. Twitter changed its name to X and brought in CEO Linda Yaccarino while the surveys were in the field.Richard Bord via Getty Images The next tier down includes Reddit and X, each sitting at 22 percent. Complicating matters, Elon Musk’s company changed its name from Twitter to X while the surveys were in the field. The company’s reported users dropped slightly in two years, from 23 percent in 2021. Meanwhile, Reddit rose four points from 18 percent two years before — despite the platform’s API controversy happening while the surveys were out. Other platforms with significant age-group discrepancies include Instagram and Snapchat . The 40- to 49-year-old demographic, which includes younger Gen-Xers and all but the youngest Millennials, has especially high rates for LinkedIn , WhatsApp and Facebook . In other demographic-based notables, Pew reports TikTok is especially popular among Hispanic users, with 49 percent reporting use . X is more popular with adults with annual household incomes of at least $100,000 — a nine-point swing compared to the $70,000 to $99,999 tier. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, given its career-oriented focus, LinkedIn has a higher rate of respondents with at least a bachelor’s degree .This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-is-the-fastest-growing-social-platform-but-youtube-remains-the-most-dominant-170023692.html?src=rss

31.01.2024 18:42 There are a few go-to names when it comes to robot vacuums and Shark is right up there. The company makes some of the best robot vacuums on the market, and several models are currently on sale. The Shark AI robot vacuum with a self-emptying base is currently available for $350. That's $300 off the regular price, albeit $50 more than the record low. That said, it was only available for $300 for a short time during the holiday season. You'd be hard pressed to find a better deal on the device at the minute. This model will run for up to 120 minutes before it needs to recharge, and it will return to its dock to top up the battery when need be. It uses LiDAR to map your home and a matrix grid approach to cleaning the floors, making multiple passes over dirt. The vacuum has a HEPA filtration system to help it capture pet hair, dust and allergens. You can set a cleaning schedule or ask the vacuum to spot clean using your voice thanks to Alexa and Google Assistant support. Best of all, the self-emptying base holds up to 60 days of debris and dirt, so you won't have to pay too much attention to the machine. Elsewhere, you can score a notable discount on Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop. That device has dropped to $430, which is $130 off the regular price, but $70 more than the record low we saw during the holiday shopping period. AS the name suggests, this adds a mop on top of vacuum functions. The mopping function can tackle stubborn stains by scrubbing hard floors 100 times per minute. A Matrix Mop feature can improve stain cleaning in targeted zones by 50 percent, Shark claims. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/shark-robot-vacuums-are-up-to-46-percent-off-right-now-170020151.html?src=rss

31.01.2024 18:42 Super Bowl LVIII is right around the corner, which means it's a solid time to go TV shopping. To help those looking for a new set, we've rounded up the best Super Bowl 2024 TV deals we could find from Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers. Most of the discounts stem from the natural pricing cycle of the TV market more than Super Bowl-specific sales, as most sets are released in the spring and gradually drop in price until they're discontinued the following year. That's happening again now, and after several TV makers unveiled their 2024 lineups during CES last month, last year's TVs are likely to fall even further as the year rolls along. Still, if you want a new living room centerpiece in time to watch the San Francisco 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs, a number of well-regarded TVs have returned to the all-time lows we saw during the holiday shopping season, including 55-, 65- and 77-inch sets from Samsung, TCL and Hisense. While we don't typically review TVs at Engadget, we've scoured reviews from other professionals we trust and double-checked price histories to ensure you get a good deal. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-super-bowl-2024-tv-deals-we-could-find-164515222.html?src=rss

31.01.2024 18:42 Amazon's Fire TV soundbar is back on sale for $100, bringing the price down from $120. That’s a savings of $20, or 17 percent, on the well-regarded audio device. This matches the Black Friday price from last year, so this is likely the cheapest you’ll see the soundbar until, well, the holidays. The device can enhance your TV audio via dual speakers, with access to 3D surround sound. You also get DTS Virtual X and Dolby Audio support. It comes with a remote for adjusting the volume, but you can also plug it directly into a Fire TV and use that remote for everything. Plug and play experiences are always nice. The soundbar also has Bluetooth, so you can connect it to your phone or tablet to stream podcasts or whatever. The only thing missing, and this is odd for an Amazon gadget, is Alexa. You won’t be able to use the dulcet tones of your speaking voice to make any volume adjustments with this soundbar. There’s also the pigskin-encased elephant in the room. The Super Bowl is just 11 days away. If you’re looking to upgrade your home entertainment system before gorging on nachos with your buddies and playing Taylor Swift-inspired drinking games, this is a mighty fine option. Many rival products cost two to three times as much as this soundbar. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-fire-tv-soundbar-is-back-on-sale-for-100-162215851.html?src=rss

31.01.2024 18:42 If you have a popular gaming franchise, now is the time to decide if you can repackage it, upgrade some textures, or completely reimagine the title for the 2020s. Atlus’ Persona games are one of those enduring series, and the company has already relaunched the last three entries across current-gen consoles, almost entirely unchanged from the original releases. But with Persona 3 Reload, the company chose the most confusing entry to remake. There are some big changes you may not even notice if you haven’t played the 2006 original recently, with new English language voice actors and, interestingly, the most voiced scenes from any game in the Persona series. Mostly, the only way you can tell this is a remade game are the anachronistic gadgets featured within. Flip-phones sure, wired headphones everywhere, standalone MP3 players, DVD players, internet cafes, desktop PCs as standard. Is 2006 retro now? If it is, I’ll throw up. Atlus Truly, it’s just a gorgeous version of itself. Reload isn’t a total remake like Final Fantasy 7 Remake, so environments are limited to the ones found in the original, including a world map to fast-travel between them all. There’s some Unreal Engine gloss, and while nothing is utterly stunning outside of battles, some parts, like the sun-dappled classroom, look better than anything in Persona 5’s real-world environments. Reload has the graphical fidelity to do justice to Shigenori Soejima’s original character designs – no more almost chibi-styled character models. The difference between 2D art and 3D models is often imperceptible. The graphical upgrade is the biggest change; the remaster takes advantage of technological advancements across the three generations of consoles that have launched since the original game debuted on the PlayStation 2. The original Persona 3 was criticized for repetitive environments and battles and while Reload doesn’t try to address the former, battles are improved. Atlus Visually, even compared to Persona 5 Royal, the characters are more detailed and more fluid, especially during their anime-styled attacks. The personas – the magical spirits you use to wield magic, defy fate and all things Atlus – look and move better, too. The game has also gone through a Persona 5 filter of sorts, too. The menus and battle results screens are now dynamic and snappy, with an aqua-blue color scheme suiting the third game’s theme. So yes, Atlus did it again: It made menus cool. There are also new animated scenes, while some old scenes have been recomposed with the latest game engine. Fights look better, too, and they also play better. It’s still a turn-based RPG, where enemies and allies take turns attacking each other. In Persona games, the battle dynamic hinges on striking an enemy’s weak spot, allowing for extra attacks and interrupting their turn. P3R has integrated some of the series’ quality-of-life improvements, including the ability to ‘pass’ your turn to another player , who can perhaps hit harder or topple one of the other enemies. Also, more often than before, when your character achieves a critical hit or topples an enemy, you’ll get an anime-style close-up cut of the character’s face and a more dynamic Persona summoning flourish. I love it. Critical attacks have also been made more cinematic and these improvements help make what can be repetitive fights seem a little more entertaining. Finishing attacks result in a slick victory screen like Persona 5. Theurgy is the new battle dynamic introduced in Reload. It’s best to consider them like ultimate attacks : high-powered attacks that take time to build up before you can unleash them. Why call them Theurgy? The word means the “effect of a supernatural or divine agency in human affairs,” which is the Persona series’ jam. While these attacks will charge through typical battle behaviors, each character has a particular characteristic that, if leaned on, will charge the gauge substantially faster. For one it might be landing a status effect on an enemy. For another, it might be buffing party characters. Regardless, it’s often worth doing these specific actions instead of what you planned to do, if only to tap into a powerful attack quicker. I was pleasantly surprised at how frequently I could unleash these special attacks. The protagonist is unique, so he gets a selection of different Thuergy attacks based on multiple Personas he unlocks through the game. Atlus Social links form the game's backbone and how your character spends time between supernatural fights. Unlike recent Persona games, improving your relationships with NPCs in Persona 3’s world doesn’t offer you many boons during your fights. However, enhancing your connection can also happen through new "Link Episodes" available to some party members and NPCs. Participating in these can lead to new Persona creations and even stat boosts. Oh, and a deeper story. Most fights occur in Tartarus, a vertiginous tower split into different sections but typically offering more of the same, whatever level you’re on. This component of the Persona experience is equally familiar and frustrating. It can get boring fast, especially if you’ve played the original game, which I’m sure many have. It’s also where the least effort’s been made to improve this game. It is repeated corridor mazes, with treasure, enemies and other distractions scattered around. Sometimes there are treasure monsters – high stakes, high reward enemies that will often run away unless you beat them quickly – and the Reaper, a high-powered enemy that will steamroll you until you’re wielding end-game weapons and a high enough level. It’s a shame. With Persona 5, exploration and battle areas were themed around that chapter’s antagonist. There were puzzles to solve, parts of the level would change, and even resting spots were factored into the level design. Then there was Mementos, built around the randomly generated levels you’d expect from a Persona title. In this remade Persona 3, you’re running around the same very repetitive environments spread across over 250 sets of stairs. Atlus That won’t put off Persona fans; they know what a Persona game is like. There are enough quality-of-life improvements to make this worth replaying if you’ve played the original over the last… two decades. I’m delighted that those improvements include a “network connection,” also plucked from Persona 5, which shows you what other players are up to each calendar day, helping inform how you spend your time/help with the tricky school tests. I hoped for some new, more complex level design combined with turn-based RPG battles and friendship sim frivolity, but that would have resulted in an entirely new game. I’ll have to wait for Persona 6 – or possibly look elsewhere. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/persona-3-reload-review-2000s-nostalgia-160022715.html?src=rss

31.01.2024 18:42 The first metal 3D printer that will be used in space is on its way to the International Space Station. The Cygnus NG-20 supply mission, which is carrying the 180kg printer, launched on Tuesday and is set to arrive at the ISS on Thursday. Astronaut Andreas Mogensen will install the printer, which Airbus developed for the European Space Agency. The machine will then be controlled and monitored from Earth. Polymer-based 3D printers have been employed on the ISS in the past, but metal 3D printing in orbit is said to pose a trickier challenge. The machine will use a form of stainless steel that’s often used for water treatment and medical implants because of how well it resists corrosion. After the stainless steel wire is pushed into the printing area, the printer melts it with a laser said to be a million times more powerful than a typical laser pointer. The printer then adds the melted metal to the print. The melting point of the metal is around 1,400°C and the printer will run inside a completely sealed box. Before the printer can operate, it needs to vent its oxygen into space and replace its atmosphere with nitrogen. Otherwise, the melted metal would oxidize when it became exposed to oxygen. Given the higher temperatures that are employed compared with a plastic 3D printer , "the safety of the crew and the Station itself have to be ensured — while maintenance possibilities are also very limited," ESA technical officer Rob Postema told the agency's website. "If successful though, the strength, conductivity and rigidity of metal would take the potential of in-space 3D printing to new heights.” Four test prints are scheduled. The printer will replicate reference prints that have been created back on Earth. The two versions will be compared to help scientists understand how printing quality and performance differs in space. Even though each print will weigh less than 250g and be smaller than a soda can, it will take the printer between two and four weeks to create each one. The printer will only be in operation for a maximum of four hours each day, since its fans and motor are fairly loud and the ISS has noise regulations. If the experiment goes well, it will pave the way for astronauts and space agencies to print required tools or parts without having to send the items on resupply missions. Metal 3D printing could also help with the construction of a lunar base using recycled materials or transformed regolith . It may come in useful for missions to Mars too.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-european-space-agency-will-test-3d-printing-metal-on-the-iss-154413028.html?src=rss

31.01.2024 18:42 It's an awkward time to be a PC player. The platform has more games covering more genres than ever, and even standard PC hardware can deliver pristine, photorealistic graphics. At the same time, some of the biggest titles in recent memory have been absolute messes on PC at launch, like Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Redfall, the Dead Space and Resident Evil 4 remakes, and The Last of Us Part I. Unfortunately, it looks like we can add Cities: Skylines II to this list — which means I'm eagerly looking forward to the day when we can look back and say, "Man, remember when this game was broken? I'm glad Colossal Order fixed everything and appropriately apologized to its community." At least, I hope that's what we'll say. This week's stories Microsoft, macro layoffs Three months after closing its purchase of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft fired 1,900 people in its Xbox, ZeniMax and Activision Blizzard divisions. This follows a rash of layoffs in video games in recent months — last year, around 9,000 people in the industry were fired, and already in January nearly 6,000 jobs have been lost. It’s a legitimate crisis. Alongside the layoffs, Microsoft officially canceled Odyssey, the survival game that Blizzard had been working on for six years. Palworld is the zeitgeist So far, 2024 is the year of Palworld. The game comes from a small, rookie team and it’s been billed as “Pokémon with guns,” though it’s really more like Ark in terms of gameplay. Whatever reference you pick, Palworld is so popular that it’s No. 2 on the Steam charts for all-time concurrent players, right behind PUBG. With all of this attention, it was only a matter of time before Nintendo stepped in — the Pokemon publisher is investigating Palworld for potential copyright infringement, and we’ll see how that plays out in the coming weeks. Cities: Skylines II and toxicity The original Cities: Skylines came out in 2015 and ate up the audience that was left behind by EA’s SimCity, which landed in 2013 and was a busted mess. Cities: Skylines scratched that urban-planning itch, and over the years, developers at Colossal Order worked closely with players to foster a thriving mod community on Steam Workshop. Mods, custom assets and let’s play videos have been a critical aspect of Cities: Skylines’ long-term success. Last October, after months of marketing collaborations with content creators like Biffa and City Planner Plays, Cities: Skylines II came out — and it was a disappointment to many players. The game was originally pitched as a simultaneous PC and console release, but it’s only available on PC and there’s no concrete timeline for when the other versions will come out. There’s been no word on a Mac or Linux launch. There’s also no official mod support for Cities: Skylines II, and when this feature does land, it will be through the game’s publisher, Paradox, rather than Steam Workshop. On top of all this, Colossal Order raised the game’s minimum and recommended PC specs just a month before release, and the new requirements made it unplayable for a large chunk of players. Even with a capable rig, Cities: Skylines II is riddled with visual and mechanical bugs. Simply put, it feels like Colossal Order pulled a SimCity. The studio has been steadily rolling out updates, and CEO Mariina Hallikainen acknowledged that the game is missing some promised and highly publicized features, like mod support. But in a recent note to the community, she said the conversation with players was becoming toxic and she called for civility. Hallikainen told Engadget she'd witnessed a surge in personal attacks on developers and other players in forums and on social media. Community members like Philip, the man behind the YouTube channel City Planner Plays, were surprised to hear the word “toxicity.” He told Engadget he's witnessed an increase in negativity and frustration from players, but not toxicity. For Philip and many other dedicated Cities: Skylines players, the feedback has been justified. They want Colossal Order to take accountability for the state of the release, say they’re sorry, and provide a plan to fix things going forward. Maybe throw in some free in-game perks, too. Collaboration with the community is what made the original game so successful, and the sequel could certainly benefit from crowdsourced improvements. Hallikainen told Engadget that working with content creators and modders has helped direct the updates to Cities: Skylines II post-launch, and the studio still loves working with these players. This is only the beginning for Cities: Skylines II. Colossal Order intends to support and expand the game over the next 10 years. The original Cities: Skylines didn’t have all of the bells, whistles and mods when it first came out in 2015, and the sequel is starting in a similar position. Colossal Order sees Cities: Skylines II as a fresh foundation, but its core community expected a more complete experience from the jump — especially people who paid $90 for the Ultimate Edition. We’ve seen titles like No Man’s Sky and Cyberpunk 2077 overcome rough launches to become beloved games down the line, and Colossal Order has a solid track record when it comes to long-term support. However, options like early access and paid betas exist for a reason. At the very least, players should know whether they’re spending money to play a new game, or to help finish it. Now playing I’ve been playing Persona 3 Reload, and now that embargo has lifted, I can say it's great. Otherwise, my quest to hit Grandmaster in Overwatch 2 continues unabated.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cities-skylines-ii-toxicity-and-more-layoffs--this-weeks-gaming-news-150133540.html?src=rss